20th Century Studios has released the first trailer for Dan Trachtenberg’s (The Boys, 10 Cloverfield Lane) Prey, a revival that breathes new life into the cult classic Predator film franchise. But rather than set it in modern-day times, the film steps 300 years back in time, where the fearsome titular hunting alien faces off against Naru (Amber Midthunder), a fierce and highly skilled female warrior of the Comanche Nation.
By the looks of things, Prey is the Predator film franchise going back to basics, where a man had nothing to use but his wits and skill to take down a stronger force like the titular hunter. What’s more, we get to see a woman of color take the lead as someone who wants to provide for their tribe but ends up protecting them.
And the trailer does a great job of establishing the character work by teasing Naru’s interests are in becoming a respected hunter like her elders. Of course, there’s going to be some rejection and a few teases of her skills as a hunter, but as we later see, she will be in the fight for her life when a Predator starts to hunt bears and other humans.
Setting Prey in the past adds to the Predator’s mythology as it establishes the idea that these hunters from outer space have been pursuing humans for centuries. It may be a scary thought at first, but it also sets up the precedent that only some humans have been able to fend Predators off for so long.
Here’s the official plot synopsis for Prey:
Set in the Comanche Nation 300 years ago, Prey is the story of a young woman, Naru, a fierce and highly skilled warrior. She has been raised in the shadow of some of the most legendary hunters who roam the Great Plains, so when danger threatens her camp, she sets out to protect her people. The Prey she stalks, and ultimately confronts, turns out to be a highly evolved alien predator with a technically advanced arsenal, resulting in a vicious and terrifying showdown between the two adversaries.
To provide an accurate portrayal of the Comanche and bring a level of authenticity that rings true to its Indigenous peoples. Trachtenberg worked with a Native Comanche producer (Myers), and a cast comprised almost entirely of Native and First Nation’s talent, including Amber Midthunder (The Ice Road, Roswell, New Mexico), newcomer Dakota Beavers, Stormee Kipp (Sooyii), Michelle Thrush (The Journey Home) and Julian Black Antelope (Tribal). The movie also stars Dane DiLiegro (American Horror Stories) as the Predator.
And not only will we be able to see representation of the Comanche Nation in a major sci-fi film, but Prey will be available on Hulu entirely in Comanche as a language option, or with Comanche subtitles, which is the first time a feature-length movie on a direct-to-consumer streaming platform has been available in the Comanche language in its entirety.
Prey lands exclusively on Hulu on August 5, 2022.